Noble Maiden Fair
by Anath Tsurugi
Summary: After all, what's a game of wizards and knights without a kiss from a princess? (AU, kid fic, first kiss)


(A/N) So I was watching Robin Hood last week and I just started to get this image in my head of the boys playing out some version of the scene with Skippy fighting Lady Cluck...then the following scene with Skippy and Maid Marian. Here is the result. Be amazed, dear reader, for you hold in your hands my first pure fluff story. I've tried to write straight fluff before and it's just never worked. Some element of angst always manages to work its way in. But this time, I think I actually managed to keep it out. So enjoy your cute. Who knows if I shall ever manage it again.

**Noble Maiden Fair**

"Dean! Sam! Cas!" Dean faintly heard his mom calling somewhere in the distance.

"Should...shouldn't we go back?" Cas suggested nervously as he looked around the woods.

"Nah," the eight-year-old said as he continued to traipse through the forest. "She wants us to come in for dinner. We're not done playin' yet," he insisted. "We're not done playin' 'til we beat the evil wizard."

"Won't they get angry?" the other eight-year-old asked, lower lip trembling slightly. He knew he didn't like to see his own dad angry and he imagined Dean's dad was just as bad, if not worse.

"Maybe a little, but the evil wizard doesn't like stayin' out after dark, so he's gonna show his ugly face before too long," Dean said, continuing to lead the other boy through the trees. Cassidy Singer wasn't much of a talker, but there was still something that Dean Winchester liked about him. He and Sam had been playing with the new boy all summer, ever since the Singers had moved to town. Cas was even cool with playing the part of the princess whenever he and Sam decided to play a little game of knights and wizards.

"And maybe the evil wizard just don't like bein' called _ugly,_" his five-year-old brother, Sam, growled as he jumped out from behind a nearby tree, wielding a broken piece of branch as a magic wand.

"Oh, yeah? What'cha gonna do about it?" Dean teased, brandishing his own broken branch sword.

"I'ma put a spell on your pretty princess," Sam declared, pointing his 'wand' at Cas. The boy's eyes widened and he promptly dropped to the ground, asleep.

"I challenge you to a duel, wizard boy!" Dean shouted, grinning as he rushed at his brother. The two boys laughed wildly as they went at each other with their branches.

"Take that, stupid knight!" Sam shouted, getting in a really good jab with the stick. "You're never gonna save the princess!"

"Wanna bet, baby wizard!" Dean said, jabbing back. Sometimes Sam won and conquered the world. Other times Dean won and the world was saved. Tonight the world was saved when Dean stabbed his stick between Sam's arm and chest. The younger Winchester grabbed hold of the stick and started to spin in large, wobbly circles.

"Oh, no! He got me! Dying...powers...fading...bleeelgh!" Sam cried out melodramatically as he finally collapsed to the ground, lying completely still with the branch sticking straight up in the air.

"Didn't hurt ya, did I?" Dean asked as he knelt beside Sam, not really worried, but it was good to check all the same.

"Nope," Sam said, shaking his head, but keeping his eyes closed. "This is the part where ya take the princess back to your hideout in the woods. Evil wizard's ghost is gonna go have a sloppy joe."

"You do that," Dean said, rolling his eyes before standing and looking in Cas' direction. The other boy was sitting up and blinking owlishly at him.

"Spell broken?" Cas asked.

"Yep," Dean said as he helped Cas to his feet. "Come on, fair lady. Gotta finish the story."

Before Cas could say anything else, Dean had seized his hand a little tighter and was running off with him, deeper into the forest.

"Dean, where're we goin'?" Cas asked, a little worried, but not fighting the other boy's grip on his hand. If Mrs. Winchester was still calling for them, they were too far away to hear. "It's gettin' dark."

"Yeah, I know," Dean said, finally coming to a stop and tugging Cas under a large bush with him, "but Sammy said I had to bring you to my hideout."

"You have a hideout? Where?" Cas asked. Dean had been dragging him all over these woods these last few months and he hadn't seen any hideout.

"Not really. Just found the first bush big enough for us to hide under. That would pretty cool, though...finding a hideout somewhere. Then the grownups could never find us and we could do whatever we want," Dean said, grinning to himself at the thought. How awesome would it be to have a secret clubhouse out in the woods?

"How long are we gonna stay out?" Cas found himself asking, though he was getting less and less worried about their parents being angry. He liked being out here with Dean, just the two of them. Yeah, it was getting dark, but the fireflies were also starting to come out. He liked fireflies.

"I dunno. Sammy said to come out here, but I'm not really sure what else we're supposed to do," Dean said, shrugging as he drew circles in the dust with his free hand. It was only then that he realized he was still holding Cas' hand.

"Well...usually...the hero gives the princess a kiss after he saves her," Cas said before he could stop himself.

"A kiss?" Dean repeated, feeling his heart leap into his throat. He looked away from Cas, but he didn't let go of his hand. "That...that's girly stuff."

"Well...I _am_ supposed to be the girl here," Cas said, and almost before either of them had realized it, he was leaning across the space between them and pressing his lips against Dean's.

The kiss was brief - sloppy, wet, and clumsy - but both boys were blushing furiously when they pulled away from each other, grateful for the darkness that hid this.

"Cas, what...I mean, what...were...did you..." Dean tried to get the words out, but couldn't really find any.

"I'm sorry," Cas whispered, looking away from him.

"No...it's okay. Just...y'know...warn me, next time...maybe?" he suggested lamely, also not looking at his friend.

"You're not...angry?" Cas asked, risking a glance at the other boy.

"Nah...just...wow," was all Dean could manage. He wasn't completely sure how to tell Cas he'd liked it, so instead of trying and failing to say anything, he reached for Cas' hand again, grinning at him in the fading light. He didn't think he'd ever seen such a big smile on the other boy's face. Despite the growing dark, he could also see the blue of his friend's eyes. He'd never noticed just how blue they were.

"I don't...really wanna go back," Cas said softly, his fear from earlier completely forgotten.

"Me neither...but they really are gonna be mad this time," Dean said, squeezing Cas' hand just a little tighter, breaking the spell of the night as he helped him to his feet. "Maybe if we run, we'll still get dinner."

"I know you don't care about that," Cas said, trusting to Dean to lead him through the woods as they started to run. "You just want some of that pie Mom made."

"Cas, there're three things in this world I'll fight for. Sammy, you, and warm apple pie!" Dean shouted over his shoulder, already starting to sound breathless. They were both completely winded by the time they made it back to the Winchesters' backyard...and if Dean's dad was going to swat his tail for not coming when he was called, he didn't mind even a little bit, because he was a brave knight...and he'd gotten a kiss from a beautiful princess.

XxX


End file.
